With Honors Page #7

this knockwurst that's the best.

- That's a boy who knows how to wear silk.

- He's covering a tragic birthmark.

Are you Whitman's ghost?

''You'll hardly know who I am

or what I mean.''

Listen, you shouldn't be with me.

Why? Am I cramping your style?

Look at her, she's beautiful.

You have good taste.

Yeah, you're in love with her.

So what?

''So what? ''

- So what?

- ''So what? ''

It's everything.

Not to her, it isn't!

So prove her wrong.

In four years I haven't been able to get her

to admit she's wrong about anything.

That proves she loves you.

What are you waiting for?

''To drive free, to love free!

''To court destruction with taunts.

''To feed the remainder of life

with one hour...

''...of fullness and freedom.

''One brief hour...

''...of madness and joy.''

Would you like to dance?

Maybe you shouldn't.

Let's not go overboard

with this staying alive junk.

Yes, I would. Just a minute!

Don't let her be a regret.

It's worse than being a loser.

- What's your name?

- Marty.

- What's your major, Marty?

- French.

Leave me alone!

Forget it!

No, I won't forget it. What do you mean?

Let go of me!

Jerk!

- What are you doing?

- I'm ending our friendship.

Wake up!

Where're you going?

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Do you think there's a hell?

We've got to get him to the hospital.

No.

I promised him!

I didn't want to be alone.

I'll go get you some water.

Thanks.

Could you....

Would you...

...sit here for a while.

Come on, you always bounce back.

When I was a kid I had a dog.

Funny-looking thing.

Orange hair, big ears...

...skinny body.

Used to love to chase cars.

He got run over three times.

He never really got hurt.

He'd go hide under the couch

for a couple of days.

When he came out he'd go right back

to chasing cars again.

Eventually he got old and sick.

God, was he ugly.

Towards the end...

...he went off into the woods to die alone.

He laid on a pile of leaves, perfectly still.

You couldn't move him.

If you tried to touch him, he'd snap at you.

Here you go!

Thanks.

I'm scared.

I'm here.

Monty...

...if I get through tonight...

...would you drive me someplace

tomorrow.

Yeah, sure.

Tomorrow.

Yeah, tomorrow.

Tomorrow's fine.

I want to see my son.

Just once.

- Did he hand in his thesis?

- I don't know.

- It's due today.

- He knows.

Everett, let's go!

Finished my thesis.

It's not great, but it's done.

Congratulations!

So, what about yours?

Did you hand it in already?

I'm not done.

I've got to type up a bibliography.

- How are you going to finish it?

- I guess I won't.

Did Pitkannan give you an extension?

No.

Can I come?

Turn it around.

Turn it the other way.

No, the other way.

Hello, Mr. Wilder.

My name's Monty Kessler.

I'm a student at Harvard.

I guess it was about...

...three months ago I met your father.

He's in the van. He wants to see you.

I don't have a father.

Please. He's very ill.

He just wants to see you.

I don't want to see him.

He's dying.

Please, just walk over

for a couple of minutes. Say hello.

Let him look at you.

Then we'll go and you'll never

have to see him again.

Is there something you want from me?

I just wanted to look at you.

Fine!

Have a look.

Seen enough?

You look good.

I'm your father.

You don't look like much.

I was wrong.

And I'm sorry.

Yeah, you were wrong.

I don't care about you being sorry.

I don't care about you.

Daddy?

Who is that man?

It's nobody, baby.

It's nobody.

Stop the car!

Stop the car here!

Right here, stop!

He's taking a leak, right.

The dog....

Get back in the van!

Get back!

You're not a dog.

''I am of old and young

''Of the foolish as much as the wise

''Regardless of others

''Ever regardful of others

''Maternal as well as paternal

''A child, as well as a man

''Stuffed with the stuff that is coarse

''And stuffed with the stuff that is fine

''One of the nation of many nations

''The smallest the same

and the largest the same....

''I depart as air

''I shake my white locks

at the runaway sun

''I effuse my flesh in eddies

and drift it in lacy jags.

''I bequeath myself to the dirt

to grow from the grass I love

''If you want me again

look for me under your boot soles.

''You will hardly know who I am

or what I mean

''But I shall be good health to you

nevertheless

''And filter and fiber your blood.

''Failing to fetch me at first

keep encouraged

''Missing me one place search another

''I stop somewhere waiting for you.''

Oh, God!

Simon wrote his own obituary...

...and he asked me to read it.

''Simon B. Wilder bit it on Wednesday.

''He saw the world out of the porthole

of a leaky freighter...

''...was a collector of memories...

''...and interrupted a lecture at Harvard.

''In 50 years on Earth,

he did only one thing he regretted.

''He's survived by his family!

''Jeff Hawkes...

''...who always remembers to flush.

''Everett Calloway,

who knows how to use words.

''Courtney Blumenthal...

''...who is strong...

''...and also knows how to love.

''And Montgomery Kessler...

''...who will graduate life with honor...

''...and without regret.''

Mr. Kessler.

A thesis advisor, I have always presumed,

is supposed to give advice.

Especially on the idea of the thesis.

I'm sorry, sir. I meant you no disrespect.

But I changed it because I had to write

about something I really believed in.

Your new idea is...

Naive is a kind word!

Foolishly optimistic might be

more the truth.

Are you withdrawing as my advisor.

No, I'm not withdrawing my endorsement.

I don't agree with what your brain

has produced but I...

...I admire its independence.

Not many people agree

with my ideas either.

I do regret that, because of your lateness...

...you have no chance

to graduate with honors.

Thank you, sir, for being a true mentor.

Good luck, Monty.

Sherry Kendrigan, Economics.

Anastasia Kinnsman, magna cum laude,

Romance Languages.

Christine Kerwein, magna cum laude,

English.

Montgomery Kessler, Government.

Robert Keiswetter, summa cum laude,

Economics.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...the class of 1994!

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